By Joy Yesufu
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says it is investigating two suspected cases of Ebola virus disease as health authorities monitor 53 primary contacts linked to the country’s confirmed infection.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, saying the agency had established isolation and quarantine facilities as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
“We have established two suspected cases and 53 primary contact links. They are primary contacts. We have an isolation centre and a quarantine centre,” Idris said.
The development follows the confirmation of Ebola virus disease in a 42-year-old woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3, 2026, arriving in Abuja on an international flight.
According to Idris, the woman developed symptoms on October 7 and visited a private health facility on October 10. She presented at another private facility the following day, where she was admitted.
The NCDC was notified on October 19, after which the agency conducted an investigation and collected samples. The infection was confirmed by the NCDC’s National Reference Laboratory on October 20.
Idris said the patient presented with fever, diarrhoea, generalised body aches and a sore throat. He added that she did not report any bleeding.
The NCDC chief said about 12 public and private laboratories were available to test for Ebola, adding that the agency had strengthened laboratory capacity to ensure suspected cases were promptly investigated.
He urged public and private healthcare facilities to strengthen screening, triage and infection prevention and control measures, while ensuring that healthcare workers had adequate personal protective equipment.
Idris also called on people contacted by public health officials to cooperate with contact-tracing teams and provide accurate information about their movements, contacts and symptoms.
The agency is continuing surveillance and follow-up activities to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus and ensure that suspected cases are investigated promptly.
